State Charter Schools Outperform State on 2021 Graduation Rate
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The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) released Georgia 2021 high school graduation rates this month. The average 2021 state charter school graduation rate is 86.2%, outperforming the 2021 state average of 83.7%. A majority of state charter schools offering high school (5 of 7) had graduation rates higher than the state average, with at least 95% of high school state charter school students graduating from four of the schools. The following state charter schools outperformed the state average in 2021.
- Baconton Community Charter – 100%
- Pataula Charter Academy – 100%
- Academy for Classical Education – 99%
- Statesboro STEAM Academy – 95%
- Furlow Charter School – 86.4%
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Commissioners Complete Renewal School Visits
The SCSC kicked off fall commissioner school visits with visits to state charter schools being considered for charter renewal in the 2021-22 school year. Chairman Buzz Brockway, Vice Chairman Tony Lowden, Commissioner Fitz Johnson, and Commissioner Mike Dudgeon visited Atlanta Heights Charter School, Georgia Connections Academy, Statesboro STEAM Academy and Cirrus Academy Charter School in October. The commissioners were happy to visit with students.
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SCSC Meetings
The SCSC held its October board meeting on October 27, 2021. At the October meeting, the SCSC board adopted two updates to financial and academic measures in the SCSC Comprehensive Performance Framework (CPF).
The financial measure adoption provides all state charter schools the full 15 points for Measure 1c for the 2020-2021 school year due to the enrollment anomalies resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The academic measure adoption allows the SCSC staff to use four alternate measures in place of those that are currently included in the academic section of the SCSC CPF for the 2020-2021 school year due to the lack of College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) scores. The alternate measures are:
- SCSC-calculated Content Mastery scores adjusted for participation rate;
- SCSC-calculated Content Mastery scores not adjusted for participation rate; and
- GaDOE calculated Achievement scores; and
- School-Administered Benchmark Assessments*
*Benchmark assessments will only be reviewed when a school does not outperform its attendance zone using one of the first three measures. SCSC staff will determine how to analyze benchmark data for 2020-21 academic compliance on a school-by-school basis to account for differences in the type of assessment administered and available, verifiable data.
The next SCSC monthly board meeting is scheduled for November 17, 2021, at 10 AM. A list of upcoming meetings for 2021 can be found on the meetings page of the SCSC website.
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Petitioner Webinar Series Pt. 2: Overview of Funding and Budget Template
The SCSC will offer a series of webinars following the petitioner boot camp to assist applicants in the petition development process. Part 2 will be hosted on November 3rd and assist applicants in the petition development Funding and Budget Template process.
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Governance Training In-Person Session (Opportunity 1 of 3)
This year, the SCSC will be offering Governance Training opportunities in two parts. The first will be through a live, in-person session and the second will be a live session held virtually. The first in-person session will be held on November 10th. In order to fully participate in SCSC training, board members should plan to attend one of the in-person session dates as well as one of the live virtual sessions.
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The SCSC held its Petitioner Bootcamp and Replication & Expansion webinar this month. Please see below to review the materials presented.
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Resurgence Hall Celebrates Wall Card Day
Resurgence Hall Charter School held their 5th annual Wall Card Day, where they celebrated their grade K scholars mastering their phonics-sound cards ("Wall Cards") by dressing up as Wall Cards! Resurgence Hall sets a school-wide goal for ALL grade K scholars to know 100% of letter names and sounds by September 24th, and their scholars work intensely with their teachers to learn these through their daily “Wall Card” ritual, reciting a chant to go with each letter.
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Spotlight: Tricia Marsh, International Charter School of Atlanta
When one of the International Charter School of Atlanta's (ICSAtlanta) founding board members, Tricia Marsh, came together with six other parents to meet the need for a language immersion school in 2015, the group faced many challenges. ICSAtlanta started with humble beginnings but has grown into a top-ranked K-8 International Baccalaureate World School with an extensive waiting list. Read the full article highlighting Tricia Marsh, a current ICSAtlanta board member and Treasurer, and her journey from 2015 to today with the International Charter School of Atlanta.
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Donuts for Teachers
Give hardworking, state charter school teachers and staff a sweet treat! Through the SCSF's Donuts for Teachers fundraiser, you can purchase "digital dozen" certificates for Krispy Kreme donuts for state charter schools. At the end of this promotion, schools will receive certificates that they can redeem to treat their teams. While you are treating schools, treat yourself, too! Donuts are a perfect addition to upcoming holiday celebrations. Purchase 10 dozen, get 1 for free! Schools without a nearby Krispy Kreme will receive certificates to another bakery.
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Eighth Grade Science Flexibility Waiver Approved
The U.S. Department of Education has approved Georgia’s request to renew the state’s existing waiver that allows grade eight students completing the high school Physical Science course to take the Physical Science assessment instead of the grade eight science EOG assessment.
Therefore, grade eight students enrolled in the high school Physical Science course shall participate in the high school Physical Science assessment while all other grade-eight students shall participate in the grade eight science EOG assessment.
This is not a change from previous years, but rather an extension of existing flexibility for grade 8 science teachers. Schools should contact Deputy Superintendent for Assessment & Accountability, Allison Timberlake, Ph.D., atimberlake@doe.k12.ga.us, with questions.
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MHAT Project Request Platform
Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) has announced the launch of the new RESA/GaDOE Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) Project Request Platform. Access and course descriptions through this link: https://mhatgeorgia.com/.
As a reminder:
- Questions regarding requests or scheduling can be sent to MHATScheduling@doe.k12.ga.us
- Each RESA will have $50,000 allocated for reimbursement of allowable mental health awareness training.
- The general MHAT training menu funds will not be allocated per RESA. The funding for MHAT Menu training will be equally available to all RESAs for scheduling training so that schools and districts are not prevented from scheduling training due to funding distribution. With the rollover amount from reduced training requests due to COVID restrictions, we do not anticipate a shortage of MHAT Menu training funds. Please request and schedule accordingly.
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Accountability Lunch and Learn
Beginning with the Oct. 20, 2021 Lunch & Learn, all of GaDOE's Accountability Lunch & Learns will be conducted via Microsoft Teams. In preparation, please register for the November Lunch & Learns using the following link: November 17 Accountability Lunch and Learn
Additionally, download the Teams app on your desktop. Please remember that all attendees will be held in the waiting room for the session until the webinar begins at noon.
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GaDOE Office of Whole Child Support Updates
Office of Whole Child Supports Webinar Series
The Office of Whole Chile Support will continue its monthly webinar series as a way to provide ongoing support to schools/districts on the 3rd Friday of every month from 9:30-10:30 AM. You can review the webinar recording through this link: School Safety Updates 10.15.21.mp4.
The next webinar in our series will be held on Friday, November 19th from 9:30-10:30 AM on Microsoft Teams. The topic will be Wraparound Supports. Use this link to register: Registration Link
Georgia Student Health Survey
In September 2021, notifications went out stating the GA Star Climate Rating will not be calculated this academic year; however, the Georgia Student Health Survey will be administered. The links are being finalized and will be sent out in November. The surveys are voluntary this year but we STRONGLY encourage participation as the results may provide important information for continuous improvement and understanding of the supports students may need at this time.
Parent Consent: Please note that the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) requires that the student survey be made available for review by parents/guardians. Therefore, copies of the student survey may be reproduced and made available to parents or other parties upon request. Also, schools must notify parents/guardians about the survey and give them the option to opt-out if so desired. The Georgia Department of Education approves “passive” parental consent on the Georgia Student Health Survey which allows parents to “opt-out” of survey participation by returning signed consent forms to the school. Passive consent letters and survey questions are always available on our GSHS webpage.
Medicaid State Plan Amendment for Free Care Nursing Services
Three documents are linked below regarding the Free Care Nursing Services Expansion. These documents include links to recordings, slide decks and Q&A. As a reminder, all LEAs are required to complete the Free Care Nursing Services Expansion Webinar and Attestation form in order to submit claims for free care nursing services. Please make sure to submit the Attestation Form via the DCH school nursing mailbox at ciss.schoolnursingservices@dch.ga.gov by December 1, 2021. Please contact gatraining@pcgus.com with any questions.
SAVE THE DATE: 2022 Georgia School Safety & Homeland Security Conference
Make plans to join the Georgia Emergency Management & Homeland Security Agency and the Georgia Department of Education Office of Whole Child Supports on June 21-23, 2022 for the 2022 Georgia School Safety & Homeland Security Conference. The conference will be held at the Columbus Convention & Trade Center and will feature sessions on a wide range of topics including cyber security and HB 156 Reporting, threat assessment training, social media threats and updates to the school safety plan template. Click this link to sign up for more information! Please contact schoolsafety@doe.k12.ga.us with any questions.
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The State Charter Schools Commission’s (SCSC) FY21 Reporting Deadlines calendar is available on the SCSC website here. Please note that most deadlines are established by the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) and are subject to change. The SCSC makes every attempt to ensure that it maintains all dates as accurately as possible. However, all schools are encouraged to stay up to date of any changes to the timeline made by GaDOE. Any failure by a state charter school to meet deadlines established and enforced by the SCSC and GaDOE will be reflected in the school’s assessment through the SCSC Comprehensive Performance Framework.
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2021 CCRPI Live Data Verification Tool Available in the Portal
On March 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education approved Georgia’s waiver of several accountability, school identification, and report card requirements. (For more information about the waiver, please review the 2021 Accountability Waiver FAQ 3.29.21.) Though there will be no 2021 CCRPI summary score for the state, school districts, or schools, some CCRPI-related data, such as achievement rates, participation rates, and graduation rates, for example, will still be calculated and publicly reported by Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE).
Due to this, GaDOE is providing schools and districts with a valuable accountability resource – the Live Data Verification tool. The Live Data Verification tool, available now in the CCRPI portal with demographic and attendance data and provides summary data from Student Record that updates nightly as your district updates the data. Additional Student Record data (such as students in the 2021 4-year graduation cohort) and data from Student Class data will populate in the tool in May. This tool will assist district staff and principals in verifying the accuracy of the data submitted in Student Record and Student Class before the data collections close. The accuracy of such data is critical to accurate accountability reporting.
View the user guide at your convenience.The user guide, training webinar, and webinar PPT handout for this tool are also available for download on the MyGaDOE portal.
To access the Live Data Verification tool, log on to the MyGaDOE portal, click on the CCRPI link, and then choose Live Data Verification. For help accessing the portal and with any functionality issues, contact the GaDOE Information Systems Customer Support Center at 1-800-869-1011 or dticket@doe.k12.ga.us. Contact the GaDOE accountability specialist assigned to assist your district with questions regarding the data.
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Funding & Professional Development Opportunities
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GaDOE Professional Learning Catalog
Free Yearlong Science of Reading Course on the Cox Campus
COX Campus has launched their latest free course in their K-3 Science of Reading series! This is part-one of their K-3 Yearlong Learning Journey, a series focused on the practical application of the Science of Reading. A great resource and training course for educators and parents!
GCSA FY22 Financial Management Certification Program
REGISTER NOW for GCSA’s Financial Management Certification Program. You can still sign up for five of the six remaining courses! GCSA will offer any courses that you miss during our spring semester. This year’s program is offered virtually, and each course is split into two, four-hour sessions in the same week.
This training is specifically designed to build the expertise and knowledge of charter school leaders and board members who oversee school financial operations. However, registration is open to all interested charter school employees. GCSA’s rigorous program is tailored to address the unique financial issues facing charter schools.
**Scholarships are available for state charter school participants.**
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FY22 Estimated Formula Allocations - ESSA and IDEA
Preliminary FY22 estimated formula-based allocations under Title I, Part A; Title II, Part A; Title III, Part A; Title IV, Part A; Title I, Part C and Title I Part D of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 are posted under the Resources section on the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) Federal Programs webpage.
Estimated allocations for Title V, Part B, and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 611 Flowthrough and 619 Preschool grants should be finalized in early July and posted on our website.
These allocations are not final and are provided for planning purposes only. Final grant award notifications (GANs) will be issued after July 1, 2021 pending State Board of Education (SBOE) approval of funding.
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State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia
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For real-time updates and announcements:
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The State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia (SCSC) is a state-level, independent charter school authorizing entity. The SCSC has the power to approve or deny petitions for state charter schools and renew, nonrenew, or terminate state charter school contracts in accordance with Georgia law.
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Copyright © 2021 State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia, All rights reserved.
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